Clothes Dryer Woes...

lately i've been unplugging/re-plugging it from/to it's outlet, and that seems to help a bit with the heat.

the other day, it ran -- ran cold -- for about 6 hours while we were out.

It prolly just needs a new heating element, not real hard to do, nor terribly expensive...

Do yourself a favor and get a gas dryer. Electric dryers are horribly expensive to operate. I have Kenmore HE2 that matches the front loading washer. I don't much like the washer, but the dryer kicks ass - and it doesn't leave stuff all wrinkled. Works like a charm.

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lately i've been unplugging/re-plugging it from/to it's outlet, and that seems to help a bit with the heat.

Hmm that doesnt sound good. Dodgy electrical connection? look for signs of arcing. Black or burnt areas at/near wiring joins. or aas rock said replace element.
I've no experience with this type of dryer but it may be worth checking the thermostat. Generally fairly cheap if you can get at it.

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the other day, it ran -- ran cold -- for about 6 hours while we were out.

Region- Call me neurotic, but I would NEVER run a clothes washer or dryer with no one in the house..............................especially when the machine in not working properly. I would be concerned about short circuits, and other manner of mischief.

Personally, I think that it is probably time to get a new machine. Unless you have a friend who fixes appliances as a favor, it will cost quite a few bucks to get an repairman to your house, and even if he can fix it, between the service call and the cost of the part, you would still be putting a lot of money into an old machine.[/color][/b]

although the house wiring is ancient, the outlet (a GFCI) was installed 13 years ago...

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although the house wiring is ancient, the outlet (a GFCI) was installed 13 years ago...

i meant internally, inside the dryer.

if its a gas dryer that (probably) rules out the electric element as a cause.

Which leaves
gas supply, igniter (to start the gas burning) which could be effected by plugging/unplugging, or the thermostat.

My advice was per electric dryers, please disregard...

One tip about dryers - buy the largest capacity one you can afford. The bigger they are the faster they dry - and they wrinkle less.

In those few minutes, the water ended soaking the carpeting in a number of rooms. The insurance carrrier brought in huge fans, which spread the mold around, and caused Mr. P. to have an asthma attack.

$50.00 plus travel and accomadation. Ill have it fixed in a jiffy.

Before you do anything else, disconnect the exhaust vent and clean it out.

Dryer vents tend to get plugged up with lint over the years and if there is enough in there it will restrict the air flow. Many (most?) gas dryers have an air flow sensor and the dryer won't heat up for safety reasons if the air flow is to low.

It costs you nothing to check it...